Emmy-winning Adam Blackstone wants to take part in the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show with Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Dr. Dre on the road

Adam Blackstone is at the peak of his career.

For years he was the musical mastermind behind concerts by Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Janet Jackson , Alicia Keys, Maroon 5 and Eminem. This weekend, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Direction for his work on "The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent." And just last week, he launched a residency, "The Legacy Experience," at LA's newest music venue, the Sun Rose.

Blackstone never really saw himself as a leader until COVID made him stop and reflect on his legacy. “People trust me to organize,” he says. "I saw two of my friends die during COVID, and I heard someone say, 'I don't want to die with a laptop full of ideas.'

Sharyn Goldyn, Talent Director at The Sun Rose, who saw Dave Chapelle, Nicole Scherzinger and Jeff Goldblum has been performing since opening last spring at 8430 Sunset Blvd., says Blackstone takes his music to already legendary ground. "That's where the House of Blues was," she says. “When this property was purchased they wanted a music venue and to continue bringing music to the Sunset Strip.” Mason Alexander Park will be coming to the venue on October 1 and 2 to play back-to-back nights as part of the ongoing residency with longtime David Bowie pianist Mike Garson.

The genre of music Blackstone uses on his show goes back to his roots in Philadelphia where he was a musician in session playing the double bass. At the time, he would often find Jill Scott, India Arie and Erykah Badu jumping on stage to "scramble and open the mic". This is the essence of "The Legacy Experience".

"I'm bringing East Coast vibes to L.A.", Blackstone says of his hope to emulate the experience he had - a small room with performers who can be called in at any time to come on stage. And yes, he can see everyone. The venue accommodates a maximum of 150 people. Anthony Hamilton, Amber Riley, Eric Benét and BJ the Chicago Kid all joined Blackstone for its second residency show on September 1. Dre joined him for this first show a few weeks ago.

In fact, the performances helped him realize his own impact. "People are proud of what I've done for them, and now they're giving me back," he says of the artists who came out to support him. And others are crying out for his DMs to want to join him on stage.

Perhaps his proudest moment came on Saturday night when the halftime show won three Emmys. It is forever etched in Emmys history. The show edged out Norman Lear who was nominated for "Live in Front of a Studio Audience".

Assembling the halftime show involved a vision: for it to be "a great musical spectacle ". He says, “It wasn't about black or white. It wasn't about hip-hop versus pop music. I am proud to make this a great musical spectacle that will continue to show the legacy of each of these artists. »

The biggest challenge was knowing that each of these global superstars could have been the only head of attach. He jokes: "People can't be mad at me saying, 'You should have added that. "Mary could do 12 minutes on her own. So could Snoop and Dre. It was my job to create a playlist and...